Posts I Like

Category: God’s faithfulness

It’s Christmas! And through all the lights and the gifts, the food and the family celebrations, one thing sets this holiday apart from other holidays.

Thousands and thousands of years ago, immediately following Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, God arrived on the scene and saw what the two had done. The world would be cursed. From that point on their labor would be hard.

When they told God that the devil had deceived them, he turned to Satan, and faced down the ancient serpent. God declared war. He told Satan right then and there that he would send an offspring — a descendant — of Eve to strike him, and deliver a crushing blow to his head.

Satan was not willing to concede defeat. He and his evil angels have fought back ever since then. And many people have lost their souls in this interminable series of counter-attacks against God, and against his Son, the Lamb of God.

But Christmas tells us that the unending war is finally coming to an end. God kept his promise to send an “offspring ” of Eve. As the Magi said, the star indicates that this child is the “the king of the Jews.”

More than that, the tiny baby lying in a manger will be named Jesus — Savior. Years later he will show himself to be not only the king of the Jews, but the victorious Lord of lords and King of kings.

He will triumph over Satan, sin and death itself by dying on a cross, and shedding his infinitely precious and priceless blood. He will be the sinless Lamb of God who offers himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. In this self-sacrificial act, he will redeem us from our sins and win eternal life for all who are his called, chosen and faithful followers.

Christmas. It’s God’s kept promise to us. It’s the beginning of the end for Satan and his allies. It’s merely the first taste of triumph and victory for those of us who are with him by faith, who trust that the baby born in Bethlehem is our Savior and our Lord.

“They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14, NIV).

Jesus, Lamb of God, today I want to thank you for coming to be my Savior. I am so grateful that you kept the promise made long ago to Adam and Eve, a promise that was made necessary by their sin and mine. But most of all, I need to thank you for coming to triumph over sin, Satan and death. You called me and chose me to follow you. And you keep me in the faith. With you, we enjoy today as the beginning of the end, and the guarantee of our complete victory. Because of you alone, eternal glory is our true and final hope!

Trusting God, even when the outcome is unpredictable, is always the right move.

Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego were three friends of Daniel, a Jewish exile in Babylon. The four banished friends were devoted to the Lord, and trusted that God would take care of them.

They had needed to exercise that trust when Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, had drafted them into his royal service. They had been Jewish royalty and nobility. Now they would be servants of their occupier — the very one who had stolen their home from them. They trusted God to guard their footsteps. And that’s what God did.

Later, Nebuchadnezzar made an unreasonable demand of all his advisors, insisting that they should be able to not only interpret a dream he had dreamed, but even tell him what the dream had been in the first place. Daniel trusted God to reveal the dream and its interpretation. And that’s exactly what God did.

Then came an even greater test. Nebuchadnezzar made a huge monstrosity of an idol. Then he told all his officials to bow down and worship it. He ordered that anyone who would not bow down be executed by being thrown into a blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down, wanting to worship only the true God. They trusted God to protect them.

They did not know how God would protect them. They did not know what the outcome in this life would be. But they still trusted that God would deliver them — whether in this life or in the next.

This is true faith — to be confident that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we are not sure what the outcome in this life will be, we can still be assured that the outcome in the next life will always be far better than anything we can imagine or dream of.

Perhaps you are currently facing your own furnace right now. You don’t know what the outcome will be. But you can still remain confident that God is able to deliver you from that furnace.

And if he does not? He remains God — a God who wants the best possible eternal outcome for you. He is still your Savior and your Lord. And, through faith in Christ, you remain headed for everlasting life in heaven.

What does a Christ-follower do when the outcome is unpredictable?

They trust God. They put their faith in his grace and his power in all things. And they remain confident that God will deliver them — in this life, or the next.

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18, NIV).

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have allowed fear to take over my heart rather than faith. Grant me the trust in you that will give me great courage for the “furnaces” in my life. I want to worship and honor you — and only you — with all of my heart.

Like this:

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV).

It’s interesting the way Solomon puts this. Because I think it’s the opposite of the way most of us think.

We tend to think that God is the big-picture guy, and that the only thing we control are the little decisions and choices along the way.

This verse from Proverbs reverses the roles. It says that we are the ones who make the big-picture plans. And God is the one involved in each step along the way.

I don’t know about you, but I find this extraordinarily comforting. Because as much as we sometimes feel like we know where our life is headed, the journey through life is often a journey through a minefield. And the path through that minefield is filled with many unexpected twists and turns.

So it’s really, really nice to know that God is not just involved in the big picture. He’s also there in the little details along the way too.

God pays attention to our every step. More than that, God steadies us for each step along the way. In fact, didn’t Jesus claim he even knows the number of the hairs on your head?

Jesus thank you for being involved in the details of my life. You know every step I take. And by your grace you make my steps firm. Keep my steps on the path of your purpose, and help me to walk for the glory of your name.

Like this:

If you’ve ever been to a coastline where you can watch big waves tumble over sharp volcanic rock, you know that’s a place to be cautious about swimming. You want to make sure that you have some bigger rocks to hide behind. Otherwise, the forces behind those waves are going to be awfully harsh, if not deadly.

Life can be like that. At times, we need something to hide behind. The rough and tumble of daily living can overcome us, and the constant, unrelenting battering of life’s powerful “waves” slowly, but surely, threatens to drain the life out of us.

Nothing saddens me more than the realization that most people don’t know where to find true safety and rest. So they wander around amongst the sharp rocks and the violent waves and the powerful undertow of life constantly searching, using a trial-and-error method.

In that scenario, every supposed safe harbor just ends up being a short-lived solution to the problem. The fear and exhaustion soon return.

Until we find what David found. There is a true place of safety — a rock to hide behind. There is a place of peace and restoration.

That place is God.

And how does one find refuge behind him?

Know that God really exists as one who wants to be your refuge.

Trust that he is strong enough and loving enough to be your Rock to hide behind.

You hide behind him when you study the Bible and believe its words and promises.

You hide behind him when you are baptized, or when you bring to recollection the benefits of your baptism.

You hide behind him when you receive the Lord’s Supper.

You hide behind him with others when you fellowship with fellow believers in church.

You demonstrate that you are hiding behind him when you pray.

You demonstrate that you are hiding behind him when you give the same grace to others that you have already received from Jesus.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:5-8, NIV)

Well, with Moses, God does! Literally, his last recorded words were to point to God and say, “There is no one like our God!”

There’s no one who helps us like our God. There’s no one as majestic as our God. There’s no one you can always rely on to be your place of refuge like our God. There’s no one who will always catch you when you fall like our God.

You are safe and secure when you — by trusting in his promises — rest in his loving arms.

He’s the shield on your arm, the helper at your side, and the sword in your hand.

Fear no one else. God is with you.

And that’s the last word on the subject!

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ So Israel will live in safety; Jacob will dwell secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew. Blessed are you, Israel!Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights” (Deuteronomy 33:26-29, NIV).

Like this:

Are you looking for your “true north”? Do you wish you could find that solid foundation where you could build your life, and stand firm through all kinds of trouble and tribulation? Do you yearn for a guide — a coach and mentor — who can teach you the true difference between right and wrong?

Or perhaps you seek forgiveness and mercy? You want just a small dose of grace instead of judgment in your life. There’s a lot of “history” in your life, a boat load of baggage. You long to grasp a sense of hope and peace, but it all just seems wispy, even as you reach for it.

Look no further. You’ve just found what you’re looking for…

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NIV).

“Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness… For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” (Psalm 48:9-10, 14, NIV).

Lord Jesus, be my true north, my compass and my guide. Lead me in your gentle love through this life. Give me a sense of peace and certainty in the midst of a very shaky world. Thank you, Jesus, for offering yourself on the cross to be my Savior, and my guide even to the end.

The children of Israel are on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. After 40 long years of wandering they are about to go in and stake claim to their beautiful homeland — the home God was offering to give them as a personal gift.

As they stand at the border, Moses gives them a rousing speech. He reminds the Israelites that on their previous attempt to lay claim to God’s gift, fear had gotten in the way. They had sinfully allowed their faith to be displaced by a terror of people. Moses recounts a truth the people already really know. They know it because they have lived it.

God is stronger than any giants they might meet.

After all, God had gotten them this far, hadn’t he? And he did that through some gigantically adverse conditions.

You may have “giants” in your life. Giant problems. Giant assignments. Giant enemies. Giant time crunches. Giant health issues. But God is stronger than any of these.

And this is his promise: He will fight for you. He will put you on his back and carry you. He will give you everything he has promised to give you.

There’s no better time to hear that message than Easter! Easter teaches us that Jesus is stronger even than the most giant enemy of all — death itself!

“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place'” (Deuteronomy 1:29-31, NIV).